Mortars are widely used for indirect fire during combat operations. For instance, the 60 mm and 81 mm mortars are crew carried weapons that offer immense firepower but add a significant weight burden on the soldier. Efforts to reduce the weight of these mortars have been met with a corresponding decrease in the range, effectiveness or lethality of the weapon. Attempts to reduce the weight with composite materials such as fiberglass have failed to meet the rigorous requirements for the strength to fire higher zone charges or the necessary thermal resistance to sustain a high number of rounds or rounds at a high enough firing rate. Mortars fabricated with superalloys as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,963,202 issued to Becker et al offer only modest weight savings, typically about 11%, over legacy steel counterparts. Thus, a need exists for significantly reducing the weight of mortars for better soldier maneuverability without sacrificing the weapon's durability and effectiveness under combat situations.